Changing History
by AmberAngelle
Summary: If you had the chance to change the past, would you? When Artemis Gracy, a gamer and fan of Super Paper Mario, is suddenly transported to Castle Bleck; she is given a chance to change the future of these characters armed with her knowledge of their fates. But, would it be right? And, would she selfishly destroy true love for someone whom she thinks she knows so well? *ON HIATUS*
1. Prolouge: Moonlit Storm

Prologue: Moonlit Storm

"Gosh dang it to heck!" Artemis yelled loudly as she died, again, in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials. The 16 year old continued to look at her TV, agitation clearly visible on her face. Her dark brown hair was messy and she was wearing a midnight blue t-shirt and jeans.

"Freaking Magikoopas..." She muttered as they were the source of her failure. It was late at night, around 11 o'clock, but Artemis was still awake. She has been frequently staying up later to play her new most favorite game, Super Paper Mario. Her mother felt that this would "break her natural earthly balance" but Artemis did it anyway.

Thought she loved her mother, they were never quite on the same level of understanding. Her mother was what she would call "Spiritual", very serious about the "powers of nature" and in tune with her ancient Native American roots. Artemis was quite the opposite. She is very modern and caught up in today's technology. She had a MP3, a 3DS, and of course her Wii. She was frequently on the internet; reading fan fiction, looking at artwork, and participating in fan discussions and theories. Artemis had only one real piece of her ancestry that she really cared about and that is a necklace that has been a family heirloom for generations. It is a white stone, roughly cut in the shape of the crescent moon. It was said to be made of moonstone. Artemis loved this necklace because it was given to her by her grandmother, whom she loved very much, before she passed away.

Artemis yawned and decided to call it quits for the night. Too lazy to change into her pajamas, she simply fell onto her bed and fell asleep.

Artemis awoke with a start, nearly jumping right up in bed. She looked out her window to see it severely storming. It was still dark, so she figured it must around 1 or 2 am. She then noticed that the light in the hallway, which was on when she fell asleep, was now off. Her mother couldn't have turned it off because she had left the previous day on one of her weekend nature retreats.

"_Hmm… must be a power outage." _She thought. She then left her room and headed down the stairs. She turned into the dining room and opened one of the cabinets near the wall. In it was dozens of small candles, of many different scents. Her mother always has a lot of candles in the house for her weekly spiritual séances. She found a box of matches nearby and lit several of the candles.

Suddenly she heard a loud sound coming from outside the house. She looked out the window to see something rather peculiar. A large black cat was sitting right outside her window staring right at her. The mysterious cat suddenly turned and ran off. Curious, Artemis quickly grabbed her jacket and shoes and put them on. She ran outside into the blistering storm to see the cat now at the edge of the porch, sitting calmly as if waiting for her. As she neared the cat it took off again, running out into the rain and across the street. Artemis dashed after the cat, the winds and rain slamming into her side. She managed to cross the street, but when she looked for the cat, it was nowhere to be seen. Then, seemingly out of nowhere the cat reappeared right at her feet.

"_Ok, I am officially freaked out!"_ She thought after nearly jumping at the cat's sudden reappearance. It was then that the cat looked up to the sky as if it had seen a bird or something. Artemis followed its gaze just in time to see the bolt of lightning coming right down on her. There was a loud boom and then silence. All she could see was black…


	2. Chapter 1: Chance for Change

Chapter 1: Chance for Change

"W-what…?" Artemis muttered to herself as she was slowly regaining consciousness. She was newly aware of the fact she was laying down somewhere and that her surroundings were quiet. She thought at first that the storm must have stopped but then she was suddenly hit with the memory of the lightning bolt.

"_Am I dead?"_ She thought with fear at that prospect. She finally, after several long moments, decided to force open her eyes and see what kind of situation she was in.

Black. That's all she could see at first. She then turned her head around and observed she was surrounded by black walls and ground. The only other color visible is a swirling purple off in the distance. To Artemis this looked eerily familiar.

She stood up shakily and looked around once more. She could now see she was behind a large black boulder, and that there was a small passageway to the side. She walked out from behind the boulder to see a sight that nearly made her fall down again. In front of her was a long black road and at the end of the road was a gargantuan castle, also completely made of black walls. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh my god…. That cannot be what I think it is." Artemis said in awe. She walked slowly towards the castle in complete and utter disbelief. She knew there was no way to deny where she was. She had somehow ended up at none other than Castle Bleck, home of Count Bleck and his minions. Her mind started to race at 80 miles per hour.

"_Wait! What time period is it? Is the game already over or are they all still here? And it they are…"_ She thought and then trailed off. She suddenly smiled.

"If they are then this is my chance! My bizarre coming here aside, this is one of the greatest things to happen to me!" She said out load now that her voice has recovered from the shock. The brunette quickly shook her head back and forth to clear her head.

"_Calm down!"_ She mentally ordered herself. She had woken up here, out of nowhere, after being struck by a lightning bolt. She had to figure this out before she got ahead of herself. She looked down at herself to see she was perfectly unharmed, albeit a little soggy from the rain. What she thought of next was the most puzzling part. Why did it seem like that cat had led her to that spot on purpose? Sure, that sounded crazy but was relatively normal compared to where she was right now. She looked up to see that she absentmindedly, as she was thinking, walked slowly closer to the castle. She was closer now and could see more of the details.

Suddenly, a voice sliced through the open air.

"Your chance? Your chance for what, may I ask?" said a smooth, melodic voice from above her a few feet away. She looked up, even thought she had already guessed who had spoken.

And there he was, Dimentio, the self-proclaimed master of dimensions and pleaser of crowds; and, most importantly, Artemis's favorite character from the game and from anything really as of late. She became obsessed with him after her first play through of the game. She's read fan fiction, seen art work, and more. She is of the opinion, like many others, that he is a tragic character and that something terrible must have happened to him in his past to make him the way he is. And whether we admit it or not, we all have that one character whom we have a bit of a crush on even though they are fictional. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, Dimentio is Artemis's fictional crush. This makes the situation she is in right now kinda awkward for her.

"Oh, gosh, Dimentio! My chance? My chance to… meet all of you guys!" She said flustered beyond belief.

'Y'see I, um, know what you're all trying to do and I completely support you. So I, um, came here to ask if I can, um, help…" Artemis stumbled out quickly trying to hide how nervous she was and failing to do so.

At this Dimentio could not help but laugh out loud.

"HAHAHA! You silly girl, you're like a flopping fish caught out of water!" He said in-between laughter. He continued to laugh a few moments longer before he calmed down. Artemis blushed even more at his comment.

"So, if you truly want to help us, then answer me this." Dimentio said his tone now serious.

"What?" She responded nervously.

"How did you get here? This dimension is unreachable unless you had the ability to transport here directly or a door leading here was opened. No such door has been opened and anyone besides the count or his minions cannot teleport here directly." Dimentio explained.

"I, um…" At first she stuttered and considered lying. After all, who would believe her? But then she thought better of it as she could only imagine what would happen if he didn't believe her lie. So, she decided on the truth.

"I was hit by a lightning bolt." She said. She then went on to explain in greater detail that she had followed a cat into the rain, and after being hit, suddenly woke up here.

"My, my, this is peculiar! Well, the count will certainly want to hear about this. Come along." Dimentio said after she had finished explaining. He opened the grand door and led her inside, to face the unknown. Well, kinda unknown.


	3. Chapter 2: Into the Shadows

Chapter 2: Into the Shadows

As Artemis followed Dimentio through the dark and empty halls, she was lost in thought.

"_Well, this didn't go quite as I imagined it would. Despite making a fool of myself in front of Dimentio, at least I learned one thing." _Artemis thought. It was now clear that the events of the game were still ongoing. But when exactly? With that in mind, she now focused on her surroundings. At this point Dimentio has already led her well into the castle. They were now passing the Hall of Mirrors.

"_This area was tough! I remember dying here so many times because the platforms were so small and they blended in with everything. Not to mention dozens of Dimentio clones shooting magic at you from every which way!" _She thought with a mental chuckle. It then occurred to her just how strange it was that an area she only had ever seen on her TV screen was now a reality in front of her. It was almost a little creepy. It was then she noticed Dimentio has not said a word since they got inside. She figured, knowing him, that he just didn't have anything worthwhile to say. She knew he would not say something unless he had something to gain from it.

They finally made it past the Hall of Mirrors and then deeper into the castle until they reached their destination: The Meeting Room. Dimentio opened the doors and the only person inside the room was Nastasia. She was looking down at her clipboard scribbling something on it with the pen in her hand as she was walking unknowingly towards Artemis and Dimentio. She looked up surprised to see Dimentio suddenly but then was shocked to see Artemis.

"Dimentio, who is this?" Nastasia asked sternly looking suspiciously at Artemis. Before Dimentio could say a word, Artemis interjected.

"My name is Artemis, and I wish to help you achieve your goal. You see, I think that all of these worlds are far too corrupted to be saved and it would be better to destroy them altogether to create new worlds in their place." Artemis said. She knew that the only reason she did not screw up this conversation like she had with Dimentio because she had thought ahead about what she was going to say. Now she just hoped Nastasia would believe her. Not that what she was saying was necessarily a lie, but still.

"Hm…" Nastasia was nearly silent for a moment considering what was just said.

"If this is true, then that's just great. But we don't just accept anyone who just strolls in here." Nastasia said.

"Well, I had thought that too until she told me how she got here." Dimentio piped in and then told Nastasia what Artemis had previously told him. Once he finished Nastasia was a bit bewildered.

"I've… never heard of anything like it." Nastasia said in confusion and awe.

"Nether have I. That is why I have brought her here. I was going to ask the count if he has heard of any magic like this." Dimentio admitted. Nastasia knew it must be bad if it was a sort of magic that Dimentio didn't know. She may have her own personal opinions on the jester, but one thing for sure is that if anyone knew about magic, he did. Which is why Nastasia agreed to let her speak to the count and left to go tell him. In the meanwhile, Artemis and Dimentio were to stay there and wait.

"Well, that was certainly clever." Dimentio said after he was sure Nastasia had left. Artemis turned to him.

"What was? What I said to Nastasia?" She questioned.

"…Yes, it was very convincing. It was quite a performance." Dimentio specified with a sly grin.

"Well, that's because it wasn't a lie. Not really…" Artemis said softening her tone at the last bit. She looked down, a tad somber, before speaking in almost a whisper.

"The world…has not exactly been kind to me these last few years…" She said sadly crossing her arms over her chest. She then looked up.

"But lots of people have had it much worse than I have, so I have nothing to complain about." She said giving him a sad look. _"Especially you…" _She thought.

It was at that moment that Nastasia reentered the room with Count Bleck walking beside her. Artemis thought she was prepared for this, but she really wasn't. Every thought in her head, everything she had planned to say just disappeared and left her mind blank. It's like when you need to give a speech and the night before you had memorized it perfectly only to have forgotten everything by the time you were standing in front of the audience the next day.

So, needless to say, Artemis was very nervous. She knew that what she said now would determine, at this point, her future. If he refused to let her stay, she would have nowhere to go and no way home. Well, even now she has no way home but she was hopeful the count could figure out something. Despite how amazing this whole thing is, especially meeting Dimentio, she knew that if she did not get back soon she would have a very concerned mother going crazy with worry.

"So this is the girl? Asked Count Bleck" Asked well… Count Bleck. Nastasia said nothing but gave an affirmative nod. The count studied her a moment then continued to speak.

"Greetings, child. I am Count Bleck, master of this castle and fated destroyer of all worlds. Nastasia has told me you know of our mission and aspire to be of assistance." Count Bleck said addressing Artemis with a faint look of curiosity.

"Um…yeah." Artemis responded dully.

"_Come on Artemis! Pull yourself together!" _She chided herself mentally. She needed to think quickly or else. She took a deep breath.

"Count Bleck, it's nice to meet you and thank you for taking time to listen to me. As already stated, I want to help you create perfect new worlds where there is no suffering or anguish. I wish to help you achieve this to the best of my ability. But…I must be honest, for that is not the only reason I am here. Y'see, as Nastasia told you, I came here after being suddenly zapped by a bolt of lightning. I am unhurt but am now stuck here with no way home. So, I was hoping you might know how to send me back. But in return I'll work for you while I'm here." Artemis finished.

All in the room were silent for a moment after she had finished. Each were in their own thoughts after a speech such as that. Then Count Bleck broke the silence with a simple question.

"Artemis, what kind of skills do you possess?"

"Well, I did win my school's archery competition last year…" Artemis said ponderingly.

Count Bleck simply smiled and said: "Alright, you shall start first thing in the morning."

Artemis nearly leapt for joy but contained her excitement._ "Yes! I'm in!"_ She thought with glee. Then, Count Bleck had decided that Dimentio would be responsible for her training given that it was him who brought her in. In the meantime, the count said he would look into finding out about the magic that had brought her here. As for right now, Dimentio was to guide her to her room.

Artemis thanked the count as she and Dimentio turned out into the halls. Dimentio once again took the lead as he traveled through several hallways until they reached a long hall with several doors all on one side. On each door they passed it had the name of the occupant inscribed on it. The first door said _"O'Chunks"_ and loud snoring could be heard coming from inside. The second door said _"Mimi"_ on it with a piece of paper attached to the door that read: _Stay out dummies! Dimentio, that means you!" _ Artemis smiled at the note, written in blue crayon. They then passed the third door which, as you might have already guessed, was Dimentio's. His door was completely clear except for that his name, like the others, was etched in the door. They then reached the fourth door, which had no name on it whatsoever. Artemis half expected it to be Nastasia's room but then glimpsed her room one door over. Dimentio had stopped at the fourth door, pulled out a key, unlocked and opened the door.

The interior of the room was pretty sparse with only a bed, nightstand with a lamp on it, closet, and a coat hanger near the closet. It was then that Artemis pieced together another part of the puzzle. She realized that it must be before the end of chapter 4 as Mr. L is not here where his room should have logically been. Artemis smiled at this small realization before entering the room. She pulled off her still soggy jacket and placed it on the coat hanger. Dimentio handed her the key to the room and then turned at if to leave but then suddenly stopped and snapped his fingers as if he just remembered something important.

"Artemis…" He started, his back still turned.

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering, how is it you knew mine and Nastasia's names before we told you them?" Dimentio questioned in a dark and serious tone. He then turned to face her, his eyes staring straight at her as if into her soul. His mask magically reflected a cunning smile undoubtedly hiding underneath.

Her blood felt icy as if in a sudden hailstorm. She felt frozen to the spot as her mind was racing, trying to figure out what to say. At that moment she felt extremely stupid. Of course he would notice! Without realizing it, she had said both of their names before she could have ever known them! Now, Dimentio knows she knows more than she is telling. She once again considered lying but considering the truth worked pretty well last time, she felt she had better go with the truth again.

"…Dimentio, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before but...I knew who all of you were from the start. And I know everything about all of you. I know this because… in my world, you guys are characters from a video game."

Dimentio was speechless at this admission. He knew she knew more about them then she was letting on but…this, this is shocking. He never could have imagined this was the secret she was hiding.

"So, you say you know **everything** about me, hmm?" Dimentio asked.

"If you're asking if I know that you plan to betray Count Bleck and steal the Chaos Heart, than yes." Artemis replied, steeling herself. Might as well tell him what he truly wants to know, right?

"So, you can predict the future, then?" Dimentio questioned his voice almost harsh.

"More like I know exactly what is going to happen here if everything goes as in the game." Artemis corrected.

Suddenly Dimentio's smile widened as a thought struck him.

"Dear girl, I propose a deal. You tell me of every roadblock or hazard in the way of my plan as it is about to occur. In return, once I obtain the Chaos Heart, you may have whatever your silly little heart desires." He said with a wave of his hand.

Artemis considered this for a moment.

"_If I help him out, then…he won't die! I can save him! And then…"_ Artemis thought.

"Alright, you got yourself a deal! Consider me on board." Artemis said after a moment. It was decided. And from that moment, her life was changed forever.


	4. Chapter 3: Midnight Mornings

Chapter 3: Midnight Mornings

_Artemis opened her eyes to find herself back in her room at home. Suddenly lightning flashed out the window. Artemis found herself walking out the door to her bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door. She runs across the street, darkness surrounding her. She sees the cat, and runs to it. "Why? Why did you take me to them? How!?" She demanded of the cat. The cat looked up and stared into her very soul. She felt air, she was falling. She hit water. Dark, gripping water threatened to take her under. She was pulled under. White, ghostly hands pulled her ever downward, the bottom concealed in shadows. She struggled, but to no avail. She panicked, fearing the bottom. White light suddenly streaks across her vision. Then, the water disappears leaving Artemis to float on air. The cat reappeared. The cat spoke, but its mouth did not move. It spoke directly to her mind._

"_Do not fear me, child. The demons are banished. You question me. It matters not why or how, just know this. You alone can melt the heart of stone."_

Artemis gasped and she threw herself upwards, gripping the blanket covering her. She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. After a few moments, she realized where she was. She was still in Castle Bleck. She calmed down.

"_Oh my god, what was that?"_ She thought once she was calm enough to think straight. She was still sweating. Artemis was not prone to nightmares. She only ever had two or three in her whole life and all were from when she was little, when she was afraid of every little thing. She then remembered what the cat had said.

"Melt the heart of stone? What is that supposed to mean?" She whispered. She was never good at figuring out riddles. She decided to push it off and instead worry about reality.

"_After all, it was just a dream." _She thought.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. She jumped slightly at the sudden sound, and then relaxed.

"_It's probably just Dimentio."_ She thought and rolled her eyes at herself. _"Yeah, just Dimentio, like that is the most normal thing to say."_ Her mind quipped back at her. Despite herself, she still wasn't quite use to the fact that her crush, once just a fictional character, was now a real person. She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Now was _**not**_ the time to be thinking about this.

"I'm coming!" She called aloud. She hopped up from the bed, still wearing the same clothes from yesterday having nothing to change into, and strode over to the door and opened it. To her surprise, it was not Dimentio, but Mimi.

"Hiya there, my name's Mimi! I just heard from the count that you're going to our new co-worker." Mimi said enthusiastically. She then grabbed Artemis's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Hi…I'm Artemis. It's nice to meet you too." Artemis replied once Mimi released her hand.

"Now come on, or we'll be late for breakfast!" Mimi exclaimed, once again grabbing Artemis's hand, only this time to pull her down the hall. Despite being small, Mimi's grip was as hard as iron and Artemis could do nothing but try to keep up as Mimi dashed through the halls. After several corridors and passageways, Mimi finally pulled her into a large room with a grand table being the centerpiece. At the front of the table was Count Bleck, eating what appeared to be simply cereal.

"_I guess even evil counts need their breakfast."_ Artemis thought, nearly chuckling. Also at the table was Nastasia, who sat to the right of the count and was eating her breakfast in solemn silence. Suddenly, she stole a glance at the count then quickly looked back at her breakfast, hiding her gaze. The count, lost in his own thoughts, never took his eyes off his own bowl. Artemis felt sympathy for Nastasia, reminded of the secretary's unrequited crush on her boss. Artemis nearly opened her mouth to announce her presence, but was interrupted by a door at the opposite end of the room opening with a forceful push. O'Chunks entered the room, still looking groggy from sleep.

"Good mornin', everybody." He called, followed by a yawn. He stomped over to a door to the side of the room and went inside, and came out a minute later. Holding a bowl of cereal, he sauntered over to the table, sitting across from Nastasia.

"O'Chunks!" Mimi called out suddenly and pulled Artemis toward him.

"Hey, this is Artemis, and she is our new coworker! Isn't it **so** exciting! I mean, now I have someone to play dolls with me and dress up and have tea parties and-"

"Mimi, calm down." Artemis said slowly to stop Mimi's fast-paced chattering.

"It's just so exciting because I don't have anyone to play with me cuz the count's too busy and Nassy's no fun-"

"Mimi!" Artemis tried again to get her attention but Mimi continued on.

"-and Chunky here is just too dumb,"

"Eh!" O'Chunks interjected but was ignored.

"-and Dimentio is such a meanie-pants and keeps stealing my diary!"

"Mimi!" Artemis nearly yelled, which finally caught Mimi's attention. At this point, Nastasia and Count Bleck had been watching the exchange with mild interest though not complete attention as this was not the first time Mimi had gone off on a tangent.

"Yes?" Mimi asked, looking up at Artemis.

"Mimi, remember, I am here to work. If I have some spare time than yes, we can hang out. Okay?" Artemis explained calmly. Even though Mimi was a villain, she practically had the mind of a child.

"Yay! Come on, let's go get breakfast!" Mimi said, pulling Artemis off toward the door to the side. Before being pulled through, Artemis looked to O'Chunks.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you." Artemis managed to squeeze out before she was pulled through the door.

"Nice to meet you too, lass." O'Chunks replied but Artemis was already through the door.

Breakfast went by in a flash and after Mimi found out Artemis had no other clothes to wear she freaked out and demanded they both go shopping immediately. Mimi took Artemis to her favorite shopping mall in another dimension Artemis had never seen. They had already been to five different shops when Mimi suddenly stopped in front of a dress shop.

"Yes! Perfect!" Mimi exclaimed grabbing Artemis and dragging her into the shop.

"Mimi, I really don't think-" Artemis began to interject.

"Hush!" Mimi said turning to look at her new coworker and friend.

"No self-respecting girl's wardrobe is complete without a dress." Mimi said firmly.

"But-"

"Zip!" Mimi interrupted before Artemis could even begin to object.

They looked around awhile but Artemis would never agree to any of Mimi's suggestions.

"How about this one?" Mimi asked, holding up a bright teal dress with lots of gems and bows.

"Eh, no." Artemis said quickly.

"This one?" Mimi asked, this time holding up an orange mini-dress with lots of frills.

"No." Artemis said again, not wanting any dress at all.

"Oh, how about this one!" Mimi tried again, this time with a red, lacy dress.

"For the last time, no." Artemis said, her patience starting to wear thin. Mimi glared at her.

"Why don't you like anything I've picked?!" Mimi demanded.

"I just don't like dresses that much!" Artemis replied.

"Well, here, how about this one?!" Mimi said angrily pulling a random dress off the rack next to her. Artemis was about to make another retort when she actually looked at the dress Mimi pulled off the rack.

It was a silky midnight blue dress that slightly shimmered in the light. Despite herself, Artemis found she actually liked this dress.

"This one." Artemis said abruptly.

"What?" Mimi questioned, surprised at Artemis's sudden change.

"I like this one." Artemis repeated herself. At this Mimi cracked a smile and cheered.

"Yes! Finally! Now try it on!" Mimi said dragging Artemis to the nearest changing room.

"Oh, I don't know-" Artemis begin suddenly self-conscious.

"Oh, it'll be fine. You'll look great!" Mimi insisted, pushing Artemis into the changing room.

The two had finished their shopping and returned to Castle Bleck, the two girls each carrying many bags as they traversed the halls. By the time they had got back it was late afternoon and both were exhausted.

"Hey, we have a training session later before dinner." Mimi said as she dropped all of Artemis's new stuff by her bedroom door.

"Okay, and thanks for today." Artemis said opening her door.

"Anything to help a girl friend in need." Mimi said as she opened her own bedroom door and walked inside. She closed the door behind her leaving Artemis alone in the hall. Artemis grabbed her new clothes and took it inside her own room and closed her own door. She hung up her new stuff in the closet and when she thought she had hung up everything, she nearly missed one of the bags. She opened the bag and inside was the dress. She took out the beautiful dress and hung it up as well. She didn't think she was ever going to actually wear it but got it anyway as Mimi wouldn't let her leave without getting at least one dress. She closed the closet with a sigh and decided to take a quick nap before her first training session later.


	5. Chapter 4: The Jester and the Archer

Chapter 4: The Jester and the Archer

Artemis woke with a yawn, still slightly drowsy. She looked up to the clock on the wall, which read six o'clock. With a startled yelp, she jumped out of bed and hurried to her newly filled closet. She pulled out a purple tank top with some black cargo pants and hurriedly changed. She then pulled on her shoes and ran out the door only to come to an abrupt stop outside. Down the hall, Dimentio was floating above Mimi with a pink book in his hand. Mimi was yelling at him and attempting to grab the book from him.

"Gimme back my diary, Dimentio!" Mimi exclaimed as she jumped up, reaching for the diary. He only laughed at her feeble attempts to grab it from him, shifting his position to keep the book just out of her reach. With a soft laugh, Artemis walked up to the pair.

"Alright, Dimentio, just give her diary back." Artemis said, causing both to snap their attention to her. With Dimentio distracted, Mimi snatched the dairy back and sped off with shout of victory. Dimentio put his hand to his chest, in a show of mock offense.

"Now, Artemis, look what you have done! All my hard work, ruined!" Dimentio declared sarcastically with an air of drama. Artemis laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure you can make up for it later." Artemis said, almost consolingly if not for her light-hearted tone. "Come on, we have to get going."

As the two walked the halls on the way to the training session, Artemis continued to glance at Dimentio when she thought he wouldn't see. Finally, she decided to voice a question that had been on her mind.

"Hey, Dimentio? Why do you always steal Mimi's diary?" Artemis asked, the curiosity burning her. Dimentio turned to her, surprised by the question.

"Why? Well this is surprising. Here I though you would already know, with your ever infinite prophetic knowledge." Dimentio replied mockingly.

"Hey. I may have the what, but I don't have the why." Artemis retorted. Dimentio considered the statement for a moment.

"If you must know, I do it simply because it's fun. Mimi's reactions are priceless." Dimentio said.

"Y'know, you really annoy her when you do that." Artemis quipped.

"Hence why I do it. She annoys me, it's only fair I return the favor." Dimentio quipped back.

By this point they had reached the training room doors. Dimentio pulled open the doors and with a bow, gestured for her to walk inside.

"Ladies first." He said with a faux air of chauvinism. Picking up on the joke, Artemis replied:

"Why thank you good sir."

She finished with a curtsy, holding the edges of her invisible skirt, and then laughed. She then finally walked inside, with Dimentio following close behind.

As they entered the room, Artemis gazed around the room. It was mostly empty; the only things in the room were several white platforms dotted across the room at different heights. She could see Nastasia standing on one of the platforms, high above them across the room. Mimi and O'Chunks were already there, and each turned to face them when they walked in the door.

"K, now that you two have finally decided to join us, we can begin." Nastasia said, as she adjusted her glasses. Artemis smiled sheepishly, while Dimentio gave no effort to look at all guilty.

"Mimi and O'Chunks, you two pair up. Dimentio, you help Artemis catch up, k?" Nastasia instructed, looking between the four.

"Ok, come on Chunky!" Mimi said as she pulled O'Chunks to the opposite end of the room. Nastasia then turned to Artemis, handing her a strong wooden bow and a quiver of arrows.

"This is from the Count." Nastasia explained. Artemis took the gifts gratefully.

"Hey, thank the Count for me." Artemis said. Nastasia simply nodded with a smile and flipped back up to the upper platform, to oversee the training from above.

Artemis then took the quiver strap and put it on, so the quiver was behind her like a backpack. She pulled out and arrow and notched the bow. She turned to Dimentio, who made a large circular target appear, leaning against the farthest wall.

"Thank you." She said as she pulled back the bow. Both Dimentio and Nastasia looked on with tense expressions as Artemis made her final adjustments before letting the arrow fly. In a blink of an eye, the arrow launched forward toward the target, landing in the nine-point ring. Without hesitation, she shot off more arrows in rapid succession each landing in no lower than the seven-point ring. She finally stopped after her quiver was empty. Taking a breath, she observed her work with a small, but proud smile.

The sound of clapping cut through the silence, and everyone in the room turned their heads toward the sound. Count Bleck appeared, floating down to the floor with an impressed look of approval.

"Very good proclaimed Count Bleck! Clearly you are not lacking in skill." He praised her, the girl in question now flushed with embarrassment. Artemis dropped her gaze, not used to such praise. After a moment she looked up again.

"Oh, it wasn't that difficult really. It's always just come naturally to me." She said, trying to sound casual.

"Now you mustn't be so humble, like a swan pretending to be a duck." Dimentio commented, which just caused her to blush even more madly.

"Yes, be proud of your skill, for you are going to need it." Count Bleck agreed and then addressed the room at large.

"Minions! The Dark Prognosticus has shown me the vessels necessary for summoning the Chaos Heart! Nastasia and I will travel to this land, and we can soon begin the countdown to the end of these rotten worlds!" Count Bleck proclaimed, with cheers from Mimi and O'Chunks.

"_What?! They haven't even summoned the Chaos Heart yet!? That mean this must be even before the game starts!"_ Artemis thought in disbelief.

"Nastasia, come! We depart!" Count Bleck called to his secretary. Then both she and he flipped out of the room.

Later that evening the four remaining minions were eating dinner, as Nastasia and Count Bleck had yet to return. Dinner was a tense event, with the four not saying much in the way of conversation, as they all eagerly waited for the Count's return. Artemis eat her soup slowly, every so often glancing at the others, with them all doing the same, not wanting to be the one to break the almost stifling silence. Finally O'Chunks spoke.

"So, when do ye think the Count will be back?" O'Chunks cautious asked.

"Well, hopefully soon. Cause I'm just _dying_ of boredom." Mimi responded forcefully, her impatience clear.

"Now, now; we mustn't be so impatient. They have only been gone a few hours after all." Dimentio lightly chastised.

"He's got a point. Here, to help ease your boredom, why don't I come hang out with you after we finish?" Artemis suggested to the green shapeshifter, causing her to shriek in delight.

"Oh my gosh, that's a great idea!" Mimi said, now rushing to finish her meal. After the two had finished, Mimi wasted no time dragging Artemis to her room. Once there, the two girls spent two hours drawing pictures, playing with dolls, and dressing up. Though she would not admit it, Artemis did have a fun time. Now exhausted, she bid Mimi goodnight and left to return to her own room. However, in the hallway leaning against the wall, was Dimentio. As if waiting for her, he looked to her the second she exited Mimi's room.

"Like a wounded gazelle barely escaping its hunter, you return from the spider's nest." He said, looking at her with a smirk.

"Jeez, you make it sound like she was going to eat me alive in there." Artemis responded with a chuckle. Dimentio opened his mouth to make a reply, but just stopped. Suddenly, Artemis felt a dark pulse, like the world darkened for a second and the air was thick and hard to breath. Just as soon as it came, it disappeared. She looked to Dimentio, startled.

"Did you feel that?!" She asked, shaking slightly.

"Yes…" He replied slowly, staring down the hallway, in the direction of the entrance to the castle. Then, without a word, he floated off and down the hall.

"Wait!" she called before following him, into the ever-present darkness of the castle.


	6. Chapter 5: The First Mission

Chapter 5: The First Mission

Artemis dashed after Dimentio through the catacomb-like maze that was Castle Bleck. She nearly lost him several times but managed to stay on track. The chase ended when they reached the entrance and both made an abrupt stop. In front of them stood Count Bleck, his face adorned with a malicious smile and look of madness in his eyes. Nastasia was nowhere to be seen. The most noticeable thing however was in the Count's hand. It was a large gray heart, pulsing with dark energy.

"_The Chaos Heart!" _ Artemis mentally shouted. She felt frozen in place, like all time had stopped and that all that existed was the Chaos Heart. She stared at the dark object for a few moments more before finally managing to wrench her gaze away from it. She looked to Dimentio, and he seemed to be in a similar state, just staring at the heart with no expression on his face. Those tense moments finally ended when the count at last spoke.

"Minions! To me, Count Bleck! Bleh Heh Heh Bleck!" He declared, his voice seeming to reverberate throughout the castle, before flipping away.

"Where's he going?" Artemis asked her voice suddenly tense. Dimentio said not a word, his probably mind still reeling from the power of the Chaos Heart. He just lifted his hand and with a snap of his fingers he and Artemis disappeared.

The two reappeared back in the meeting room, with Count Bleck standing on a platform up high. They both joined him on similar white platforms both high enough to meet his gaze. Just then O'Chunks joined them. Artemis shifted awkwardly on the platform as they waited. Then Nastasia appeared, standing near the count. Even though Mimi was still missing, Count Bleck began the meeting.

"Minions! The Void has been ripped in the dimensional fabric! Yes, Count Bleck is pleased. All has gone as foretold in the Dark Prognosticus. Now it's just a matter of time until all worlds meet their demise! Bleck!" Count Bleck said excitedly.

"Wow, that's just super, Count! Yeah, first you'll erase all these naughty worlds… and then you're gonna build a perfect world without war and all that other icky stuff!" O'Chunks commented, which cause Artemis to raise an eyebrow.

"_Strange… this dialogue… it seems familiar…"_ Artemis thought. Just then it hit her.

"_Oh! This is…"_ Her thoughts were cut off when Dimentio made a comment of his own.

"Yes, yes, no one likes the icky stuff… Yes … A perfect world… sounds magical… Ah ha ha, I can hardly stand the wait." He said with a wide grin, his excitement showing.

"Sorry I'm late!" A loud voice cut through the room. Then another O'Chunks, the _real_ O'Chunks appeared. He looked around confused, and then spotted his doppelganger.

"What in blazin' bog rats? How'd I beat meself here?! What goin' on?!" The real O'Chunks exclaimed.

"Oh, O'Chunks, you big silly! Didja oversleep or something?" The false O'Chunks said, the rough voice gone and replaced with a familiar girlish squeal. Then in a puff of smoke the fake O'Chunks changed into Count Bleck.

"I guess it's kinda hard to be on time, though, when you've got muscles instead of brains!" The shapeshifter teased.

"'Ey!" O'Chunks exclaimed, offended.

"Yeh can't fool me wit' that shape-shiftin' hoollganry! It's Mimi, innit?!" O'Chunks said, finally catching on.

"Show a little respect for the count! You can't go a'borrowin' his face, lass!" He scolded.

Artemis watched with exchange, a small smile tugging on her lips.

"How delightful, Mimi. Almost as dapper as…Count Bleck!" The count praised, amused.

"Aw, golly, thanks, Count! With you around, it's nothing but big smiles all the time!" Mimi said, her appearance now resembling Princess Peach. She sighed dreamily.

"Hanging out with the count! That's **my** idea of a perfect world!" She exclaimed, a blush creeping up on her face.

"And here I though Mimi's ideal world was a gem-filled pool with hunky lifeguards…" Dimentio added with a smirk, which caused Mimi to transform into Bowser.

"Hey! Dimentio! Have you been reading my dairy!?" Mimi roared in Bowser's booming voice. With all eyes on her, she suddenly became very self-conscious.

"I mean… um… never mind." She said, her voice now back to normal.

Artemis struggled not to burst out laughing, her hands covering her mouth.

"Well, different strokes for different minions…" Count Bleck said thoughtfully, his mouth still bearing a crooked grin.

"After all these rotten worlds are ended, Count Bleck will make all your dreams come true!" he continued.

"_That's a lie…" _Artemis thought, her mouth dropping to an almost imperceptible grimace.

"Um, about that, just an FYI? I've got an urgent memo for your inbox…" Nastasia spoke up, her voice flat.

"Apparently there's been some unapproved interdimensional activity lately. Yeah… I'm thinking it's the hero of prophecy. We're going to need an action plan for this guy…" She continued her report, her gaze falling occasionally.

"A dimensional interloper! And possibly the hero!? Are you sure of it, Nastasia?" The count asked fervently. With a nod of confirmation from Nastasia, the count put his hand to his chin, pondering his next move.

"Hmm… we must put an end to this nuisance…" the count said.

"Count Bleck!" O'Chunks called.

"Let me get this right in me brain… This hero Nastasia's on about… he your enemy?" O'Chunks asked, and then continued.

"Then you gotta cut me loose on 'em! You gotta!" O'Chunks pleaded.

"Very well, O'Chunks. I leave the hero chunking to you. Do not fail Count Bleck." The count commanded.

"You can count on me, Count!" O'Chunks assured before turning to his fellow minions.

"Ye all should come along. You could witness a proper chunkin'!" O'Chunks declared before leaving, his mission ahead of him.

"Hmm… I do enjoy a good chunking… how about you, Artemis?" Dimentio asked, barley concealing his sly grin.

"Oh, um… yeah. Wouldn't miss it." Artemis said somewhat awkwardly. With a small chuckle, Dimentio snapped his fingers and they were gone.

They arrived at Yold Desert, at the farthest reaches past the ruins. They reappeared atop a large sand dune. Artemis, not expecting the ground to suddenly shift under her weight, leaned forward about to fall on her face. She suddenly felt another hand grasp hers and she was pulled back up until she was steady. She then realized it was Dimentio who pulled her back, her hand still tingling from the sudden contact, her face now a bright red.

"Careful, careful… We wouldn't want to fall now would we?" He teased. She nodded, too embarrassed to speak. She then took in their surroundings, seeing nothing but desert for miles all around them. Something then dawned on her.

"_This isn't where Mario fights O'Chunks! This looks like where Fracktail appears! So what are we doing here?" _She thought in confusion.

"So we're not going to watch O'Chunks fight?" She asked, only for him laugh at the question.

"Of course not. He is certain to fail. The hero will best him and come here for the _precious_ Pure Heart." He explained. He then grinned and let out a wicked laugh.

"Yes, just like a mouse caught in a trap, this hero will come." He said confidently. She nodded in agreement, knowing this to be true. So they waited for him to arrive. Finally, after what felt like an hour, at least to Artemis, Mario appeared; Tippi trailing behind him. Just then the ground began to shake and Fracktail, the large red serpent, emerged from the sand, roaring. Artemis steadied herself then grabbed her bow and notched an arrow, preparing for whatever may come. The giant guardian then spoke with Mario, analyzing him.

"YOU ARE LATE. I HAVE WAITED THOUSANDS OF YEARS FOR YOUR ARRIVAL. YOU MAY PASS, THE PURE HEART IS JUST AHEAD." The mechanical dragon said, his loud voice almost deafening.

"Ah, ha, ha. It won't be that easy, oh no…" Dimentio interjected causing the three of them to jump in surprise. Fracktail looked around to pinpoint the origin of the voice.

"WHO SPEAKS?" It asked, confused (or at least as confused as a mechanical dragon can sound.) Dimentio transported them into their field of view, landing right between Fracktail and Mario.

"Greetings~ It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Count Bleck's master of dimensions, the pleaser of crowds… I am… Dimentio!" Dimentio introduced himself, finishing with a bow. Realizing it was her turn to speak, Artemis gathered her courage with a deep breath.

"I am Artemis, Count Bleck's master archer." She stated, forcing herself to meet Mario's eyes. Okay, so she may have been exaggerating when she said "master archer" but she didn't want to be completely outdone by Dimentio.

"It would be so very **dull** if your journey ended so easily… Instead, it ends with magic!" Dimentio declared before snapping his fingers, causing a spark of electricity to hit Fracktail's antenna. The robot shook and sparked, shorting out.

"Yes, much better… Now you and this robotic guardian can spend some quality time… That is quality snack time! For you are the snack! Ciao!" Dimentio said, before teleporting both himself and Artemis away, leaving Mario to deal with the now malfunctioning Fracktail.

**Hello there. Welcome to my Author's Note. First off I want to thank anyone still reading this story. I just want you to know how much I appreciate each fav, follow and especially review. I also want to apologize for my silence these last chapters. I am really nice and friendly, but I just have not written any notes like this because by the time I finish each chapter I'm tired and just want it to be done so I can release it as quick as possible. I am going to be more vocal from now on as I am going to write these before I finish the chapters. Now, to reward you for sticking it with me this far, here is some trivia.**

**I came up with the name Artemis Gracy from two different sources. Artemis is, of course, in reference to the moon goddess of the same name from Greek Mythology. She is also the goddess of the hunt, and is often seen with a bow and arrow, which is also appropriate for my character. Gracy is in reference to the last name of the owner of the Haunted Mansion (2003 Disney Movie). **

**That's all for now but expect more trivia in the next chapter. Please review! It really helps know what I am doing right or wrong. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts! **

**Until next time, **

**Amber**


End file.
